Refrigerating apparatus



June 6, 1939.

H. B. HULL REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Original Filed Sept 29, 1934 3 Sheets-Sheet l June 6, 1939. L

' REFRIGERATING APPARATUS 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Original Filed Sept. 29, 1934 w M x n M/ /4.m 4 M 2. 1 m mw & m ,1, M., 1 j u ATTORNEYS June a, 1939. H. B. HULL 2,161,297

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Patented June 6, 1939 v PATENT OFFICE REFRIGERATING APPARATUS 1 J a. nun, Dayton, ommusimtr to General Motors Corp ration, Dayton, Ohio, a corporation of Delaware Application September 2 9, 193 4, Serial No. 246,192

Renewed i)ctaber22.1938 5 Claims.-' to}. 62- 116) This invention relates to refrigerating apparatus and more particularly to the chest typeof domestic electric refrigerators. I Chest type refrigerators having a swinging top serving as a door have recently been introduced .by the electric refrigeration industry. However, with such a swinging top or door, there is a hazard present because of the possibility of'the accidental dropping of the heavy top or door uj upon someones hands or arms when removing or placing articles into the chest. Such-a door is also heavy to'lift in opening and there is no place provided for temporarily setting down articles to be placed in the refrigerator while the door is being opened.

It is an object of my invention to provide an improved chest type refrigerator in which the door is easily moved to open position and which cannot accidently drop upon anyones .hands. It is also an object of my invention to provide a door arrangement for achest type refrigerator which allows a space for temporarily setting down articles during the opening of the door. It is another object of my invention to provide a chest refrigerator having a door arrangement which requires little or no hardware.

It is a further object of my invention to. provide a refrigerator with a removable top wall 7 portion having connected thereto a refrigerating \system which has the refrigerant liquefying means screened by the cabinet. g Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent'from the following description reference being had to the accompanying drawings wherein a preferred form of the present invention is clearly shown.

In the drawings: Fig. 1 is a top view of one form of chest refrigerator embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken along the lines 2-2 of Fig. 1, together with a diagrammatic'disclosure of therefrigerating system;

Fig. 3 is a, vertical sectional view of another form of, my invention;;and,

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 with the refrigerating system shown in the process of being removed from the cabinet. I I A My apparatus comprises essentially. a chest type of refrigerator-having insulated bottom and side walls together with a removable top wall having a sliding door which slides from the front rearwardly beneath a platform which may be used for temporarily setting articles thereon during the opening or closing the sliding door.

.' Refefi'ing now more particularly to the drawings, there is shown a; chest refrigerator 20 hav- 'ing an insulated bottom wall 22 and insulated side walls 26. The cabinet proper rests upon the legs 26- which are sufficiently high to bring the interior of the refrigerator to a convenient articles which may be placed thereon while open- .ted lines in P18. 1.

height. The interior of the refrigerator commonly called the "food compartment is enclosed within an inner liner 26 provided with flanges ill atits upper edge portion which extend over a. portion of the insulation. Upon these flanges 5 rests a removable top framework 32 which is held in place by the upper extending portions 34 of the outer sheet metal walls which serve as a facing material for the refrigerator.

S up'ported upon this framework is a fixed in- '10 sulated top wall portion 36 which extends from one side of the framework to the other at the rear of the cabinet. .A sheet metal covering 36 is provided which extends around and covers the framework 32 as well as the fixed top rear por- 15 tion of the refrigerator, and also a flange structure 46 which extends around the opening in the top wall. g I

The opening in the top Wallis covered by a. sliding door "having a rectangular framework 20 ll of wood or some other suitable material which is covered on either side with sheet metal 46 and 46 and having insulating material 50" provided between the sheets of metal. This door is provided with a runner or guide 52 which cooperates with a stationary guide 54 to guide the door 25 in its movement over and away from the opening in the top wall of the refrigerator. A rubber gasket 56 is provided within the opening of the top of the chest and cooperates with the slidabledoor to seal the opening. Another rubber gasket 58 also extends across the top of the fixed top portion 36 and cooperates with a strip 60 upon the sliding door to seal this point of the door opening. The sliding door may be provided 35 with a simple handle 62 for moving the door to and fromclosed position.

Extending across the rear of the cabinet above but spaced from the fixed insulating portion 36 is a sheet metal member 64 for supporting any ing or closing the sliding door. This sheet metal member 64 is supported upon the top of the sheet metal covering which extends over the wooden top framework 32. 'It is spaced sufficiently from 45 the fixed insulating portion of the top wall 36 so that the sliding door may slide between this sheet metal member and this fixed insulating portion of the top wall as illustrated by the dot- 50 In order to cool the interior of the chest, I have provided an evaporating means generally designated by the referencecharacter 65 located beneath the fixed portion 36 of the top wall. This evaporating mews 65 is provided with an ice tray 55 shelf 66 spaced a sufficient distance from the fixed top wall portion 36 to accommodate an ice tray 69. The evaporating means 65 also has a depending portion, provided with a liquid separating chamber 10. This evaporating means 65 69 is supplied with liquid refrigerant by a compressor I2 driven by an electric motor I4 for compressing the refrigerant and forwarding the compressed refrigerant through a conduit 16 to a condenser I0, where the compressed refrigerant is liquefied and forwarded through a supply conduit 80 under the control of a suitable liquid control device such as a restrictor 82 to the shelf portion 66 of the evaporating means where it erating' system so as to maintain proper tem-' peratures within the chest for varying room temperatures. However, in order to take care of cold room temperatures, I have provided a snap acting switch 86 located in series with the electric motor I4 and is responsive to a thermostatic bulb 88 placed upon-the depending portion 68 of the evaporating means 65 so as to stop the operation of the refrigerating system when the-evaporator temperature falls below a predetermined low limit. 7

By employing asliding door top, my chest refrigerator eliminates the necessity of lifting a heavy swinging door as well as eliminates the hazard of such a door. Only a very simple handle.

is required and the more expensive hinges and latches of the swinging type of door are entirely,

eliminated.

The'space immediately beneath the stationary portion of the top of the refrigerator is occupied by the evaporating means and ice tray shelf so that this portion is made completelynsable. The remainder'of the chest is fully accessible from the opening in the top wall. Little precaution need be' taken on account of providing an air seal for preventing the flow of warm air into the chest or cold air out of the chest becauseof the fact that the cold air remains in the chest by gravity and warm air has no tendency to enter the chest because it'tends to rise instead of fall. By making the entire top of the chest removable, full access is had of the evaporating means for service or any repairing that is required and the manufacturing assembly of the refrigerator is facilitated by such a construction. In this way, I have provided a more safe and more convenient chest type ofrefrigerator.

In the modification shown in Figs. 3 and 4, there is shown a sliding top chest type refrigerator with the entire refrigerating system removable therefrom as a unit. In this modified form, the cabinet is provided with sheet metal walls I02 which extend around the sides of the refrigerator and enclose an insulated food compartment I04 and a machine compartment I06 located immediately beneath the food compartment. The Walls of the food compartment I04 are lined with a sheet metal inner liner I08 provided with a flange H0 at its' upper edges which rests upon the insulating means I I2 provided between the sheet metal inner liner I08 and the outer sheet metal walls I02. The outer sheet metal walls I02 rest upon the legs II4 which are fastened to a flange II6 formed at the lower edge of the sheet metal walls I02.

Resting upon the flange H0 of the inner liner member I08 is the removable top wall structure II8 having a wooden frame member I20 which is held within the upper extending portions of the side walls I02. This wooden framework I20 extends around an opening I22 in the top wall structure which is adapted to receive a removable stationary insulated portion I24 which extends across the rear half of the opening and has its edges resting upon -the side and rear portions of the wooden frame I20. This wooden frame I20 is covered with sheet metal I26 and is provided ,with a flange I28 which supports the guide or runner I30 for slidably supporting the insulated sliding door I32. This sliding door I32 is of such a thickness that the top surface is substantially flush with the top surface of the sheet metal covering I26. This sliding door I32 is adapted to slide rearwardly upon the guide or runner I30 to a position beneath the transverse sheet metal member I34 which extends across the rear portion of the cabinet spaced from but removable with the stationary removable insulating portion I24. This sheet metal member I34 is provided for supporting any articles to be placed there temporarily while opening or closing the sliding door I32. I

Suspended from the stationary removable insulating portion I24 is a refrigerant evaporating means I36 provided with an ice tray shelf I38 for supporting an ice tray I40. This refrigerant b evaporating means I36 is connected by the refrigerant supply and return conduits I42 and I44 with the refrigerant liquefying apparatus which comprises a hermetically sealed motor-compressor unit I46 connected by the refrigerant conduit 148 as. well as by an angle shaped bracket I50 a vertical sheet metal plate type condenser I52 which is mounted upon and concealed by the rear wall of the cabinet. The sheet metal plate type condenser I52, the bracket I50, and the hermetically sealed motor-compressor unit I46 form arigid structure supported at its lower end by a forked member I54 which engages a channeliron cross member I56 which extends transversely across the bottom of the machine compartment I06. The upper end of the sheet metal plate type condenser is connected and held by a pivot pin I58 and a bracket-l60 to the sheet metal connecting means which connect the stationary removable insulating portion I24 of the top wall and the sheet metal member I34 on each side.

In order to remove the refrigerating system from the cabinet for any reason whatsoever, the

motor-compressor unit and the lower portion of d the condenser I52 are first pulled out sufl'iciently to clear the rear wall of the refrigerator after which the entire assembly including the evaporator I38 and the insulating stationary removable top wall portion I24 and the top sheet metal member I34 may be moved upwardly until the evaporator clears the cabinet in order to remove the refrigerating system from the cabinet. refrigerant lines which connect the condenser 'and compress'r with the evaporator I36 are somewhat flexible so as to permit a limited amount of bending adjacent the pivot pin I58 when the motor-compressor unit ,and the lower end of the condenser are pulled outwardly while the insulated stationary top wall portion remains in place. These connecting refrigerant lines I42 and I44 extend through a notch I62 formed in the wooden frame member I20 of the top wall structure. The portion of these refrigerant lines which are received within the notch I62 is en- ,denser screened by being placed behind the back of the cabinet and the compressor is screened by being placed in the machine compartment.

.This makes a cabinet of a rather neat appearance and simplifies the installation and removal of the refrigerating system.

While the form of embodiment of the invention as herein disclosed, constitutes a preferred form, it will be understood that other forms might be adopted, all coming within the scope of the claims which follow.

What is claimed is as follows:

1. Refrigerating apparatus including a cabinet having insulated side and bottom walls providing a compartment having an open top forming a single access opening thereto, a removable wall .structure for the open top of said compartment,

said wall structure comprising a stationary portion and a slidable portion for closing the compartment open top, a closed refrigerant circulating system associated with said cabinet and including. a coolingelement disposed within the compartment and secured to said stationary portion of said removable wall structure out of the path of access to said compartment through said single opening normally closed by the slidable portion of said removable wall structure and a refrigerant circulating element pivotally connected to said stationary portion of said removable wall structure and located outside of said compartment, and said pivotal connection permitting movement of one of said elements relative to the other of said elements to remove said closed refrigerating system with said removable ing the compartment open top, a closed refrigerating system associated with said cabinet, said refrigerating system comprising an evaporator supported by saidstationarily mounted portion of said detachable wall structure within said compartment, a relatively fiat sheet metal condenser extending along. an exterior wall said compartment and a refrigerant circulating unit rigidly supported by and extending laterally from said condenser into the confines of said cabinet, a

bracket connecting said stationarily mounted portion of said wall structure and the evaporator supported thereby to said condenser, said bracket being movably connected to said condenser for permitting movement ofsaid stationarily mounted portion of said wall structure andthe evaporator supported thereby relative to said condenser, and said closed refrigerating system together with-said detachable wall'structure being removable from said cabinet as a unit.

3. Refrigerating apparatus including a cabinet having insulated side and bottom walls providing a compartment having an open-top'forming a single access opening thereto, a detachable wall structure for the open top of said compartment.

- extending along an exterior wall of said compartment and a refrigerant circulating unit 10 rigidly supported by and extending laterally from one end of said condenser into the confines of said cabinet, a bracket connecting said stationarily mounted portion of said wall structure and the evaporator supported thereby to the opposite '15 end of said condenser, said bracket being pivotally connected to said condenser for permitting movement of said stationarfly mounted portion of said wall structure and the evaporator supported thereby relative to said condenser, and said closed 20 refrigerating system together with said detachable wall structure being removable from said cabinet as a unit.

4. Refrigerating apparatus comprising a cabinet including a plurality of insulated walls pro- 25 viding a compartment having an opening in one of its walls, a detachable wall structure for closing the opening in said one compartment wall, a closed refrigerating system associated with said cabinet, :{aidrefrigerating system comprising an evaporator supported by said detachable wall structure within said compartment and a refrigerant circulating element having a connection with said evaporator and located within the confines of. said cabinet adjacent a wall of said compartment other than the wall thereof provided with said opening, said evaporator being attached to said detachable wall structure to form.

a unitary element, a rigid member attached to one of said elements and extending along a wall 40 of said compartment exteriorly of said cabinet,

said rigid member being pivotally connected to the other of said elements for permitting movement of said elements relative to one another, and said closed refrigerating system together with 45 said rigid member being removable from said cabinet as a unit.

5. Refrigerating apparatus comprising a cabinet including a plurality of insulated walls providing a compartment having an opening in one 50 of its walls, a detachable wall structure for closing the opening in said one compartment wall, a closed refrigerating system associated with said cabinet, said refrigerating system comprising an evaporator supported by said detachable wall 55 structure within said compartment and a refrigerant circulating element having a connection with said evaporator and located within the confines of said cabinet adjacent a wall of said compartment other than the wall thereof pro- 60 vided with said opening, said evaporator being attached to said detachable wall structure to form a unitary element, a rigid member attached to said refrigerant circulating element and extendmovement thereof relative to said refrigerant circulating element, and said closed refrigerating system together with said rigid member being re- 70 movable from said cabinet as a unit.

HARRY B. HULL 

